


Supernova Sunshine

by linguisticallycunning



Series: Today is Tomorrow [4]
Category: Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Lesbians in Space, New Adventure, Smoking, Star Trek: Picard Spoilers, not canon, off the edge of the page
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26413315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linguisticallycunning/pseuds/linguisticallycunning
Summary: Reunited once more, the crew of La Sirena faces an all new adventure. Spun around space by Q, the crew must figure out his mysterious advice before embarking on a course that could right some of the wrongs of the past.This picks up at the end of When Stars Collide.
Relationships: Agnes Jurati/Cristóbal Rios, Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine, Raffi Musiker/Naomi Wildman, Soji Asha/Elnor (Star Trek)
Series: Today is Tomorrow [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656022
Comments: 67
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The great fans of J7](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+great+fans+of+J7).



> Happy Friday!

The crew of La Sirena found themselves adrift. This was no usual area of space. It wasn’t even space. Raffi couldn’t make heads or tails of the sensor readings. Even Seven, with all her Borg knowledge, had never seen anything like it. But Kathryn had.

“This is the Continuum if I’m not mistaken,” crackled Kathryn’s voice.

“Never could get one by this one,” Q chortled as he elbowed Picard in the ribs. “Yes, Kathy, it is.”

“Why? What did you do now?” Her voice rumbled deadly low.

“Well, well, always the tone of derision! But really, it’s not so much what I have done but what you have not done.”

“Riddles!” Picard hissed.

“Not as such. It’s more to do with her,” his eyes drifted up to meet Seven.

“Me?” Seven scoffed, her eyes clouding over with a flash of anger.

“Well, not you specifically. More your kind,” Q shuddered like a jerk. He’d had more run ins with the Collective than most and he seldom remembered them fondly. “But first, you need to find someone you’ve forgotten.” He was eyeing Picard now and smiling that oily Q smirk.

Then with a shudder, the ship went black. For a long moment they were in total darkness. There was another lurch that was followed by some yelps and groans. A second later, the lights were back and sensors were functioning. Raffi blinked at the readings. Somehow they were on the edges of the Delta Quadrant, in the orbit of a ratty looking space station. There was no sign of Q anywhere.

Kathryn looked out the view screen and recognized the decrepit looking station. It had been some time since she’d laid eyes on it but for a brief period of time she’d called it home. She hadn’t really. But she had lived there. That’s where the trouble had begun. It was years ago now.

Actually, the trouble had already been well under way by then. The trouble had begun almost as soon as they’d made their miraculous return. After taking her beatings from the almighty Federation, Kathryn had returned home, to Indiana, to care for her mother, Gretchen. After she passed, Kathryn had lost it and in the midst of a bender, she’d borrowed a shuttle from the Academy. Starfleet might have overlooked that but for where it eventually took her.

This was in the chaotic aftermath of the Mars attack. The Federation was tightening their ranks and like Picard, Janeway found herself on the outs with the Synthetics Ban that had just been enacted. Kathryn left behind a Federation she no longer recognized and in her haze managed to find a way to Marek-Bohn, last outpost of the Alpha Quadrant. She’d hidden as a bartender for awhile. It didn’t last long as she quickly encountered a strict caste structure, one borrowed by a near-by system in the Delta Quadrant. At the bottom of the heap were the B’ne’phax, a Saurian species with clearly humanoid features. Their distinction came from their synthetic modifications making them akin to both androids and the Borg. They comprised a large part of the workforce on the station and Janeway had gotten to know many of them in her days behind the bar. It was their subjugation that shook the good captain back to her roots. It was also clear to her that the Federation was well aware of the B’ne’phax and were more than willing to turn a blind eye to their treatment. The Ban made that very clear and completely untenable for Captain Janeway. She managed to smuggle nearly a hundred of the B’ne’phax away before Starfleet caught up with her. That was how she’d ended up on that blasted rock, Karkenz, where Seven would eventually find her.

Staring at it once more, Kathryn reached for Seven’s hand. They were both standing behind the ops station and Seven looked down at the unreadable face of the older woman.

“You’ve been here before,” it was not a question but a statement that dropped quietly from Seven’s lips. It wouldn’t have mattered how quiet she was though as all the eyes on the bridge turned towards her.

“I have,” Kathryn answered, her command mask rumbling in the lower notes of her voice. “It’s called Marek-Bohn, Outpost 5378.”

“And they have a little problem with slavery I hear,” Raffi piped up from behind the navigation console.

“They don’t call it that but yes. The B’ne’phax are basically slaves, semi-synthetic saurian slaves.”

“And why did Q send us here?” That was thrown in by Rios, who had been flying to these coordinates already. “Didn’t he tell you to find someone?” He asked, turning back towards Picard.

“That I cannot say,” replied Jean-Luc. “What I do know is not trust him.”

“That makes two of us,” Kathryn echoed.

“What was the plan then?” Seven asked as she stepped out from the Ops station, giving her a better view of the rest of the bridge. Rios’ holograms had vanished when Q disappeared.

“We thought we had a couple days still,” Rios covered for the incomplete outline they’d roughly worked out before leaving.

“So what does this change?”

Voices began to overlap into a chaotic buzz. It was Picard that finally quieted them.

“We will meet in half and hour, on the holodeck. Mr. Rios, engage our cloak and take us into a higher orbit. Seven and Raffi please run some further scans on the station and the planetary system in the northeast part of the spatial grid. A word Kathryn,” Jean-Luc commanded without raising his voice. He rose as he finished and gestured to Kathryn to follow him.

In her sparse time aboard La Sirena, Kathryn hadn’t realized that the holodeck functioned as a ready room of sorts. Being a freighter, the usual Starfleet layout was clearly absent. She didn’t mind. It was a long time since she’d been on board a full starship and she was secretly glad La Sirena was much less formal. She wasn’t sure how she would feel if were more Starfleet. Hearing about Riker’s return gave her chills but not out of jealousy. That surprised her. More surprising still was Picard’s reaction. It seemed he preferred La Sirena’s informality these days as well.

Now seated facing a handsome cherrywood desk, Kathryn cradled a mug of steaming coffee as she marveled at the detail of the holoprogram.

“Impressive I know,” Jean-Luc noted breaking the silence that had stretched between them. “It’s Raffi’s handiwork. Well, Laris added to it.”

“Laris?”

“She and her partner Zhaban. They help me at the Chateau. I will be glad to see them again, though that looks to be on hold for the time being,” Picard said as he gazed wistfully out at the vineyard.

“Romulans?”

“Refugees, sort of, but yes Romulans. Actually Laris was Tal Shiar,” that drew a small smile to Jean-Luc’s thin lips. “They began as my security detail but that was long ago. Now, they’re more like family. Anyway, they both had a lot to say about this particular recreation.”

“Well, it’s wonderfully detailed. I applaud all their efforts. And this coffee is very good.”

“Ah well, Seven has a way with replicators.”

That caught Kathryn off a little. She’d forgotten Seven had already been a part of this crew. It was she that was the newcomer.

“So Q,” Kathryn posited bringing them back to the real situation at hand.

“Yes, Q, of all the luck,” Jean-Luc sighed. “And why did he bring us here? We were already headed this way.”

“It does seem oddly out of step with his antics, at least as I remember them. I wanted to bring us here so the Federation would finally acknowledge the mess they helped make. It was the synth ban that made it possible, and all the blind eyes.”

“He has something up his sleeve, I know he does,” Jean-Luc met Kathryn’s eyes.

“I agree. Who do you think he was referring to?”

“It could be anyone.”

At that, the door chimed. A moment later the rest of the crew filtered in, Seven bringing up the rear. Rios had remained at the helm.

“Well what have you found?” Picard directed this towards Raffi, still his number one.

“There’s your average fortifications around the station. They have a minor array of defensive weapons as well as intermittent shielding. The planetary system seems far more fortified,” Raffi replied looking pale and tense.

“There seems to be two shielded planets out of the five in the system. The other three appear to be barren, snowy rocks. I wouldn’t trust those readings though,” Seven added, her eyes darting between Kathryn and Jean-Luc. “They are loaded with tics of false telemetry.”

“Well I was thinking we would start with the station,” Kathryn said turning to Jean-Luc. “It’s pretty rough, it’s been a few years since I was last there but I’d be hard pressed to believe it’s gotten any safer. It’s not remotely like any Federation station. It was designed as a military outpost but the species that built it were long ago assimilated by the Borg. It was taken up by the black market and that’s what I’m expecting to find.”

“I think more surveillance is in order. I don’t trust Q but I know enough to see what he’s up to,” Jean-Luc looked at his rabble of a crew. “Ok, two away teams, Elnor and Raffi, you’ll come with me. Seven and Naomi, you go with Kathryn. Rios can hold our orbit. Agnes and Soji, please continue with the scans, see if you can break their encryption. Anyone have anything they would like to add? Questions?”

There was a murmur but no one spoke up.

“Ok well the away teams should be ready to depart shortly,” he glanced at Kathryn and she nodded.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Once the meeting adjourned, Raffi turned to Kathryn.

“I totally forgot to show you your quarters in all this chaos.”

“Quarters?” Kathryn raised an eyebrow. She’d just assumed she’d be sharing with Seven.

“Well, I figured you might need your own space. And not to worry, it is right next door to Seven. A suite if you will.”

“Well, that’s, that’s great,” the last thing Kathryn was thinking of was her quarters. “Thank you.”

“Seven can show you later I guess. I just knew I’d forgotten something,” Raffi was being especially awkward. Kathryn figured she must be feeling the nerves that only Q could engender.

“It’s ok, you can show me now. I would like to let the kinnea out anyway. They’re still in their crate in Seven’s quarters. I can’t believe we can’t hear them,” she kidded. Honestly, Kathryn was relieved to have a few minutes to collect herself before they set off to check out the station. She was straining her memory as she followed Raffi’s long strides. Seven had come along as well. She wanted to change into something more concealing of her remaining implants. While Kathryn loved her in a white tank top, it would draw all the wrong attention. Seven wanted no attention. The Borg had left a great scar across the Delta Quadrant and Seven had long ago learned to disguise herself when in the general vicinity.

“So what’s this station really like? Have you been there before?” Raffi asked, turning towards Seven.

“I haven’t,” Seven replied. “Though I have been to a few others that would fit the description.”

“It’s pretty seedy. The bartenders and mechanics know a lot of the goings on out here. I was a bartender myself.”

“Really,” Raffi said, her interest piqued.

They had come to a halt in front of Kathryn’s new quarters. As promised, it was right next door to Seven. There was even an adjoining door.

“How’d you pull that off?” Kathryn said pointing towards it.

“It was a freighter, all this was a cargo bay. That’s all I know. I’m sure there’s a hologram somewhere that would love to explain it to you though.”

“That’s ok. Seven,” Kathryn called into the other room. “Will you let out those howling beasts please?”

A moment later Sam dashed over to her, Maggie followed a beat later. Seven had transported their gear over from the shuttle. She took the opportunity to find a more tactical top, settling on a black, long sleeve shirt. It hid her arm implants well. Her face was something else entirely. She had a solution for that. After rummaging in her pack for another minute, she found what she was looking for, a small triangular chip. The tiny device was actually a micro-holoprojector. It functioned a bit like the the Doctor’s mobile emitter had but on a smaller scale. Seven attached the little button on the collar of her shirt and, with an inaudible click, her facial implants vanished. They were still there of course but now they were holographically erased. Glancing at herself, she was startled by how different, how human, it made her look. Shaking her head, she turned and walked out of her quarters.

Kathryn and Raffi both looked up when Seven walked in through the adjoining door. Kathryn gasped at Seven’s disappeared implants where Raffi actually let out a yelp.

“Nice trick,” Kathryn deadpanned though she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Seven’s ever beautiful face. She’d seen Seven without her implants once before, in the brief time they’d spent in Unimatrix Zero. What had startled her then, intrigued her now.

“How?” Raffi stammered.

That made Seven smile and as she did so, she tapped the tiny button. Her implants reappeared. “It’s a microscopic holographic projector. It’s proved useful in areas more familiar with the Borg. It’s a fairly recent acquisition, one I wish that I had a long time ago,” Seven’s voice trailed off as Kathryn and Raffi continued to marvel at her. “Are we ready to depart?”

“Nearly,” Kathryn replied as she forced her mind back to the trouble at hand. “The station doesn’t allow weapons but I don’t think we should be totally unarmed. They only scan for phasers,” Kathryn reached down and slid a narrow dagger from the inside of her boot.

“In that case, I want to go grab something,” Raffi stated as she moved towards the door. “I’ll see you at the transporter.”

Alone for a moment, Kathryn looked up at Seven and saw she had re-engaged the hologram.

“You know I like it either way,” Kathryn purred.

Seven beamed at her before looking down at Sam and Maggie as they were just beginning to explore their new surroundings.

“Do you want me to feed them while you get ready?” Seven asked. “I have another of these devices if you are concerned at being recognized.”

“Good to know,” Kathryn quipped as she headed for her own pack, still in Seven’s quarters. “And sure, feed them, that would be great.”

Seven had just placed the bowls on the deck when Kathryn emerged. She too was wearing dark colors, a black pullover over narrow legged tactical pants. She wore the same boots. Over the pullover she pulled a hooded vest. Flipping the hood forward shielded her silver hair and most of her face.

“This should suffice I think,” she said looking into the mirror in the en-suite. That was the cost of the shared quarters. It seemed a pretty fair trade. “When I was here last, I was wearing a different kind of disguise. Back then, I’d cut off all my hair in a fit after my mother passed. It was beginning to grey by then as well and so I went with bright purple and tinted my skin a gaudy orange tone. I passed as a Phyllian so being human should suffice.”

Seven blinked as she tried to imagine Kathryn Janeway with purple hair and orange skin. It was nearly as hard to imagine as her working as a bartender.

“So what exactly are we looking for?” Seven asked partly to distract herself from the thought that she could have just flown them home. This was no time to think about how burnt out she was, for the time being, she just had to keep going.

“It’s more who,” Kathryn replied as she straightened her shirt once more before moving towards Seven and the door. “I’m thinking there is a trader I used to know that might be of use. And I wasn’t kidding about the bartenders. Everything that happens in that station happens in a bar. And all the bars serve is Rai’kaw and an Imzaden ale that tastes like rotten ashes.”

“Lovely,” Seven sighed before realizing Kathryn was about to kiss her. As their lips met, Seven wished they could stay right where they were.

It was over far too quickly and before they knew it, they were standing at the transporter pads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings from Maine!
> 
> A little ocean time away from the city. Chilly but worth it. And not bad for writing.
> 
> Thanks for the great feedback. It’s always appreciated!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Raffi had walked quickly through the winding corridors heading back to her cabin. She didn’t have a great feeling about this Marek-Bohn outpost and she was less than thrilled they’d chosen to start here. There was something familiar in its alien design, a nameless something that nagged at her. Agreeing with Janeway, Raffi chose a couple discreet weapons which she slid into the near invisible seams of the jacket she had just pulled over her broad shoulders. She wondered again at what their true aim was here. It didn’t quite add up but then that might just be a result of Q’s influence. Raffi had never dealt with a Q before, not this one or any other. She’d heard the tales, read the case studies, but nothing had prepared her for the real thing. Knowing he was somehow involved in their efforts was as unnerving as it was fascinating. Raffi just could not fathom Q’s riddling.

Wracking her brain had proved useless but distracting and Raffi stepped back into the corridor blindly, still trying to find some logic in the enigma that was Q. Elnor had just turned the corner on his way towards the transporter. He felt Raffi before he actually saw her as they collided just in front of her still open door. The force of impact wasn’t much and both parties remained on their feet. Raffi shook her head as Elnor apologized and apologized.

“It’s ok,” she husked, gathering herself once more. She turned to seal her door before turning back towards Elnor’s still concerned face. “It was my fault anyway.”

“No, I was distracted as well,” Elnor replied as they began to walk. “The description of this station disturbs me.”

“You didn’t get out much before all this, huh,” it was less a question and more a late in the game observation on Raffi’s part.

“No, before leaving with Picard, I had never been much outside our colony. Certainly nowhere so off world.”

“Well, if you’re worried, just observe. JL and I should be able to take care of the talking.”

This seemed to placate Elnor some and they walked the rest of the way in an easy silence.

Jean-Luc puzzled over the appearance of Q and not just that he had appeared but the aged look of his countenance was almost equally disturbing. He didn’t quite know what to make of it short of taking it all with a grain of salt. As for what he might have forgotten, only one thing filled his mind but the likelihood that it was what, or better whom, was so infinitesimal that it barely warranted a complete thought. Instead he turned his mind to the problem at hand. If Janeway was right, they would have to involve Starfleet, no question about it. He just hoped they would be able to adequately surveil the situation before actually calling upon them. Too great a show of force too soon would destroy any element of surprise and likely any evidence with it.

As he waited at the transporter, his mind drifted back to Q, to the aging. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that Q had lost his god-like powers but that was clearly not the case. He had thrown them halfway across the galaxy then disappeared. But his taunting of Seven had prickled Picard’s senses. This had to do with the Borg somehow. Their near Delta Quadrant coordinates all but confirmed that. But the Borg Collective was in tatters. Captain Janeway had dealt them a mighty blow all those years ago and Starfleet’s Synth Ban had basically made it open season on the stragglers that had remained.

Still, there were countless survivors out there without a Collective. They were scattered into diaspora that, without a queen, could not communicate. Instead of the white noise of millions, the remaining voices clashed in cacophony, bringing chaos where there once was near pristine order. Picard had heard the echoes when they had neared the Artifact. He suspected Seven had heard much more when she had connected to the Artifact itself. He had meant to ask her about that but the ensuing chaos had caused him to forget. He puzzled over it for another minute before the echo of actual footfall graced his ears and raised his eyes.

Now assembled, the two teams did look fairly nondescript. Only Elnor really stuck out but there seemed to be nothing to help that. A quickly replicated cloak had to suffice to cover his more Romulan traits. Picard again assumed the persona of a smuggler whereas Naomi wore her regular tactical gear. Raffi, Seven, and Janeway were all wearing dark colors and Janeway’s hood obscured nearly her entire face.

Moments later, they reappeared in what looked like an oversized cargo bay. It turned out to be a hanger but there wasn’t a single ship in sight. It was thankfully deserted, the scans had shown that as well but it was a relief to confirm with their own eyes. They split into teams once they reached the doors, Picard’s team headed towards the north side of the station and Janeway and her team taking the south side. The circular station was only five decks deep. They began on the lowest deck.

Kathryn blinked at the harsh argon lights as she fought to find her bearings. The layout of the station hadn’t changed much in the last few years but it seemed the clientele had. It felt deserted as they walked as casually as they dared. There were just a few random aliens roaming the corridors. There were no security checks, no security it seemed at all. Kathryn pointed them towards the lift to the next deck. Picard’s team would clear the rest of the first level then move to the third. With any luck, the two teams would rendezvous at the primary bar, the Muldaggers, on the fifth deck.

The quiet was unnerving Kathryn. This place had been a major hub. Something major must have gone down but no news of that had reached Federation space. While that wasn’t surprising, the lack of mechanics were. Kathryn had been counting on finding an alien named Ainger. He was a master mechanic and he also ran the black market. The lack of ships would make proper smuggling near impossible. It was likely he’d moved on, that they all had, but something wasn’t right.

Picard, Raffi, and Elnor were having the same luck on the third deck that they’d had on the first. The place was deserted. Abandoned storefronts took the place of abandoned bays. There was an oddness to the quiet and it was not helped along by the scar of phaser burns across various surfaces. It seemed there had been a battle of sorts but with no one around, it was hard to ascertain quite what they were looking at.

Janeway’s team made their way to the fourth deck. There was a little traffic there, a handful of aliens of unknown origin trickling through a few of the remaining supply shops. Looking around, Janeway saw a shape she thought looked familiar. It moved in the direction of a nondescript shop. With a silent nod, Janeway indicated to Seven and Naomi to follow her. They could see nothing from outside but as they pushed through the doors, three sets of hostile eyes turned on them.

“Who are you?” One of the aliens hissed as he moved to block a display of very illegal phasers.

“We are looking for someone. We meant no intrusion,” Janeway stated without a hint of apology. When no response came, she continued.

“His name is Ainger.”

The tallest of the three aliens whipped around and, before Seven or Naomi could react, grasped Janeway by the collar and hoisted her high into the air. The force of the lift had thrown off her hood and as the green eyed alien looked, a strange sound rumbled from him. As quickly as he’d picked her up, he dropped her back to the ground. Seven was ready to charge him but Kathryn put up her hand.

“It is you,” Ainger said, his reptilian features rippling in what must have passed for laughter. “I’d heard a rumor you were still amongst the living.”

“Must have been the same one I heard about you then,” Janeway bantered through her command mask. Glancing at the other two aliens, she bristled. “What happened here?”

“You mean you don’t know?” This was from the shortest alien.

“She’s not from here Noorg,” Ainger shot back. “Captain Bales, these are my brothers, Noorg and Gnaar. And who might you have brought with you?”

“These are my mates, er, Anni and Noma,” Janeway faltered wishing she’d thought of better aliases.

“Now that we’re properly introduced,” Ainger continued, “we are of the last remaining on this station. You must have noticed.”

“Obviously, it’s deserted out there, but—

“It was the Borg,” Gnaar interrupted. “Not on the station itself. But when they came to the system, anyone that could leave did.”

Seven felt her face coloring but managed to say nothing. She knew the flush would be obscured as well as her implants but it did little to quell the twisting in her stomach.

“That dried things up here pretty quickly. Only the Muldaggers keeps the place going now.”

“That was our next stop,” Kathryn replied. “But if everyone left, what are you hanging around here for? Can’t be much to supply these days.”

“True,” Ainger smirked, if you could call it that, “but with no remaining security force, this place has its assets.”

“I’ll bear that in mind. Can I buy you a drink for you efforts?”

“Actually, another time. My brothers and I have a rendezvous ourselves. But it was lovely to see you Captain Bales,” Ainger replied as he casually shouldered them from the shop.

Back on the promenade, the trio looked at each other, puzzlement clearly visible on each of their faces.

“Bales?” Seven raised both eyebrows.

“I was feeling baleful at the time. You want to explain to me how the Borg got here in the last ten years? Because last I checked, Voyager and the Admiral had decimated their lot.”

“They did more than decimate,” Seven quipped, “slashing the Borg by only ten percent would have not had much effect.”

“Still a smartass. Even after all these years,” Kathryn sighed but smiled nonetheless.

“Really though,” Naomi chimed in, “how could it be the Borg?”

“Well you didn’t get them all,” Seven managed, thankful her holographic face showed only a serene expression. It hid the anguished panic as well as her implants but Kathryn could still sense her discomfort.

“I think we need more recon. Let’s meet back up with Picard and see what Muldaggers has to offer.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Taking up the majority of deck five was the tavern known as Muldaggers. While the lower decks had once hosted smaller bars, Muldaggers was always ground zero for the station’s action. Even now the place was packed or it seemed so from outside. Janeway had led Seven and Naomi to the upper deck and they had veered right after leaving the lift. Picard, Elnor, and Raffi would be along in a few minutes. They were nearly done with their sweep as well.

Looking at the bar, Seven’s mind began to turn. She knew she should reign it in but she still had so many questions for Kathryn. She tried to picture the mighty force that is Kathryn Janeway hiding out as a bartender. Well, she could picture it. She had gotten the full effect when she had found her. Janeway the drunk, the hopeless. This bar was a part of creating that. Seven felt revulsion grip at the back of her throat and she pulled her eyes from the bar’s entrance.

“You ok?” Janeway whispered.

Seven nodded. Kathryn didn’t believe her an iota but before she could investigate further, Picard stepped off the lift.

“Any luck?” Janeway asked.

The beret perched on Jean-luc’s head wobbled as he shook his head no.

“It was pretty deserted,” Raffi chimed in. “We only saw a couple of aliens and they split before we could ask them anything. How bout you guys?”

“I found one contact. All he could tell me was that the Borg came to the planetary system about six years ago. Since then the station has emptied out, except for the last smugglers.”

“The Borg?” Picard’s face broke from his captain’s mask, consternation etching his features. “That can’t be possible.”

“But you’ve heard them,” Seven said, her tone quiet and flat. It was not a question. “They exist without the Collective but they exist.”

“Is that what Q was on about?” Elnor piped up. His head was truly spinning.

“Perhaps. But I’m sure it wasn’t all,” Picard sighed looking towards the still bustling entrance to the bar. “I don’t know about you all, but I could do with a drink.”

“Don’t order the Rai’kaw,” Kathryn warned as Seven nodded mutely behind her. “Stick with the ale.”

They trickled into the bar by twos. Picard and Naomi were the last to enter. Kathryn, Seven, Raffi, and Elnor had taken a large table towards the back. Picard headed towards the bar as the team took note of the crowd. There were many different species, mostly in clusters around dirty looking tables. There was also a dense line stretching the length of the bar and obscuring the the smeared iridium glass behind it. Naomi wormed through the crowd standing at the bar pulling Picard along with her. They managed to shoulder up to the surprisingly tall bar but once there, saw no sign of the barkeep.

A scuffle was rising in the corner opposite where the team was sitting. Really they should have spread out but their number served as a kind of protection. The scuffle was quickly turning violent and the sound of a splintering chairs filled the air. Seven watched, ready to move in an a nanosecond if they were impinged upon. Where there was a lack of security around the station, that could not be said of the bar. It didn’t used to be the case. Out of another corner stormed two enormous B’ne’phax that headed right into the fray. Moments later, three aliens with rodent-like features were thrown unceremoniously out the wide double doors. Their hairy, bloated bodies soared through the air and landed clear across the deck. Satisfied, the B’ne’phax retreated to the shadows once more.

The sound of the scuffle had drawn the attention of the missing bartender as well. She entered unseen and set to work quickly pouring a set of shots before turning towards her newest customers. She looked up into the familiar face before her. He’d aged but no amount of lines could obscure the genuine brightness of his eyes. This slack-jawed look was a new one for her, though.

“You’re late,” she declared, her voice as clear as he’d remembered it. It had been years since he’d seen her. She hadn’t changed a bit. But then, Guinan never seemed to age. “And please tell me you didn’t come alone?”

Picard was still searching for his vocal chords when Naomi shouldered her way against the bar. She had been standing just behind him and her sudden movement drew Guinan’s searching eye towards her.

“A Katarian?”

“Half,” Naomi replied, leveling her eyes. “I’ve never met an El-Aurian before.”

“Naomi Wildman,” Picard finally spoke, “this is Guinan.”

“And there are more of us. At a table in the back,” Naomi stated flatly, her green eyes still hard edged.

Guinan set to pouring two pitchers of ale as she thrust to fistfuls of empty mugs in Naomi’s direction.

“I’ll meet you over there,” Guinan said over her shoulder.

Picard relieved Naomi of half the mugs before they picked their way through the vibrating crowd. Once at the table, Raffi couldn’t help but remark about the look on Picard’s face.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost JL. What gives?”

Before he could answer, Guinan appeared carrying the two dripping pitchers.

Only Raffi gasped though, the others knew little or nothing of the force known as Guinan. Of course Janeway had heard of her but they’d never met. Raffi, on the other hand, knew much of her, Picard had spoken of her with some regularity. She knew how much Guinan meant to her old captain and she couldn’t quite believe they’d stumbled upon her in such a place. Well, it was a bar, but out here?

Janeway looked up at the dark eyes smiling in her direction. They may never have met, but they’d circled each other in the past, mostly at random Starfleet cocktail parties and the occasional fete. Guinan had always wanted to meet Janeway. She was even more Starfleet than even Picard, and a legacy to boot. Yet Kathryn Janeway had somehow defied the Starfleet mold. Just judging from the glorious Valkyrie at her side, Guinan knew that Picard had chosen his team well.

Guinan took a seat next to Picard. She was clearly unconcerned by the traffic at the bar, clearly content to let her B’ne’phax barback handle the brunt. Her eyes were fixed on Seven. She knew there was something different about her. Seven could feel Guninan’s inquisitive gaze roving over her. The emitter was good but Guinan could clearly sense it. What she couldn’t quite identify were the implants that it hid.

“Seven of Nine,” Seven extended her non-Borg hand across the table. Guinan shook it as her eyes shifted through a range of unreadable emotion.

“You’re Borg,” Guinan replied.

“I was,” Seven steadied her eyes but Kathryn could feel her tension as her knee pressed harder and harder into Kathryn’s leg.

“You misunderstand,” Guinan smiled. “You’re exactly who I need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the ball is rolling...


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Rios was never a fan of station keeping. He’d much rather have been down below with the away teams. Agnes didn’t seem to mind being left behind and had disappeared somewhere with Soji. So Rios was left to wait and wonder. He lit a cigar just to pass the time as his mind wandered down a strange path of memory. He had two of the most legendary Starfleet captains of all time traveling on his ship. It brought his head back to his academy days and that made him crack rare, wry smile. The great Picard, captain of the flagship Enterprise, and Captain Janeway, survivor of both the Delta Quadrant and the Starfleet brass. Here they were in their dotage, ostensibly, and they were as vibrant as their mythic reputations described. Rios shuddered to think what a force they must have been in their younger days. As it was, Janeway only had to look at him sideways to get him to jump.

So far he had heard nothing from the away teams. He hoped the radio silence was a good sign especially since he had no idea what they were expecting to find. All he knew was that the Borg gave him the creeps. Not Seven of course. But Rios had only heard the stories. He’d never had a run-in with the Borg in his own Starfleet days but he’d known many who had. He was ashamed to admit that before he met Seven, he hadn’t actually believed the Borg to be irredeemable. But all that had changed. Through Seven and Picard himself, Rios had begun to realize the full scope of the Borg’s horror. The doubling down on the victims by making them villains that could only be hated and destroyed had posed a new philosophical quandary for the existential pilot. If the Borg were all victims, then it was murder to kill them unprovoked. The repercussions of that could be endless.

A philosopher’s mind is known to ramble and Rios let his out for a little run. Behind his slightly glazed eyes, images from a Bajoran tome danced through his mind. He’d read the translation long ago and now the words filtered back in a disjointed fashion. Rios normally overlooked the Bajoran texts, their piety to the prophets was far more deism than he could tolerate. The essay he recalled did read like a sutra but it’s content was anything but that. Written a decade after the withdrawal of the occupying forces of Cardassia, it dealt with the continuing effects of that occupation. It spoke to the rebirth of Bajor, not as a world of victims, but of survivors. Spiritual warriors. That there were worse things than death, but having seen them, experienced them, Bajorans had to redefine themselves. They had to grow beyond vengeance, beyond even the will of the prophets. The text had not been well received on Bajor and its author, a former Vedek, had been forced to flee to a Federation colony after its publication. Despite its disastrous reception on Bajor, the essay did find a receptive audience throughout the Federation. Rios was taught it at the academy. And right now the words rang true about the Borg. They would never be free until they were all free.

So lost was Rios in his swirling thoughts, he almost missed the first hail. Blinking back to reality, he called Soji up to the transporter station. Agnes had just walked onto the bridge as Soji replied she was already there. Agnes looked over Rios with a puzzled eye. She could smell the remnants of an extinguished cigar and wondered just what Cris had been up to the last couple of hours.

No one was surprised when Guinan joined the party. It was clear that she was the reason, or at least a reason, that Q had sent them to this disturbing region of space. The Borg were the other reason and that became clear quite quickly. As the conversation bounced around the table, it was the Borg that continued to resurface. As no one wanted anymore of the foul ale, they decided to call the mission a success. Guinan was clear about leaving with them. As they moved towards the door, she darted over and under the bar. She returned carrying a satchel.

Picard hailed Rios once they were on the open stretch of deck outside the bar. Another fight was breaking out and a chair sailed in their general direction. It was followed by phaser fire but thankfully the transporter had kicked in by then. A moment later and they were on board La Sirena once more. Guinan took a quick look at her surroundings and snickered.

“It’s not exactly the Enterprise, is it?”

“Not quite, but then it’s not my ship,” Picard quipped back. “But for a former freighter, La Sirena is a star.”

They made their way to the bridge, Guinan turning her eyes over the strange details of Rios’ ship. Nothing was standard. That much was immediately clear. It somehow matched with this raggedy crew though and Guinan couldn’t help but feel a bit at home now that she was onboard.

Rios watched as the wayward looking away team trickled across the bridge. He knew their number had increased by one but he was unprepared for Guinan. Though they had never met, Guinan was a sort of legend for Rios. He would have loved to hide behind a bar. He hadn’t done that in quite sometime. But to have been the bartender on the Enterprise? That must have really been an experience. Raffi talked of her as if she knew her but Cris knew they’d never met. She was the last person he’d ever expect to see walk across his bridge. Well, after all the others of course.

Picard had Rios continue station keeping. He switched to the auto-nav controls and took it upon himself to show Guinan to the guest quarters. The rest of the away team scattered. They’d have a formal debriefing over dinner which would be in an hour. The station had left them all feeling pretty grimy and it seemed a round of sonic showers was in order.

The kinnea yowled as if they were starving to death. Kathryn could hear them from the corridor. Definitely not soundproof. Once inside, they were pounced upon by the overly affectionate duo giving Kathryn no choice at all but to feed them. Once that was accomplished, she turned around to find Seven practically on top of her. It only took a second before they were kissing as Kathryn stepped carefully around the still chewing Sam and Maggie. Seven’s lips were hot and bruising and Kathryn responded in kind, wondering just how efficient Seven could be.

Seven had pulled her towards her side of the quarters but they only got as far as the adjoining door when the door chime rang then rang again. Still lip locked, Kathryn slowly pulled away, a pout crossing her lips. “We _had_ plenty of time,” she hissed before commanding the door to open.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> A little bit of smut to kick off the weekend...

It was Naomi at the door and she was looking petulant. She stepped into Kathryn’s quarters and noticed too late that both women were flushed and more rumpled than she’d left them. Awkwardly, Naomi tried to back away but unfortunately Sam had other plans. Finished with his dinner and full of feistiness, Sam dashed between Naomi’s legs. Losing her balance, Naomi stumbled backwards onto the low sofa. Now flushed herself, she looked up to see Seven and Kathryn trying to hold back giggles. At least they weren’t mad, she thought to herself as she pushed herself back to her feet.

Sam had grown bored by then and started to chase Maggie around, yipping as he ran.

“So what’s up?” Kathryn finally asked Naomi. She may have been annoyed at being interrupted but the anguished look on Naomi’s face had filled her with concern.

“Actually I had a question for Seven,” Naomi said a a little sheepishly, not wanting to offend her mentor.

“Well, ok then,” Kathryn smiled, not fussed at all. “In that case, I’ll just jump in the sonic shower.”

A moment later, Kathryn slid around Seven and disappeared into the ensuite. Naomi looked up at Seven’s blue eyes as the panic that she was desperately trying to quell rose up to ensnare her.

Unlike Kathryn, Seven was far more accustomed to Naomi’s panic attacks and could usually see them coming a light year away. This one surprised her though but she extended her arms just the same. A second later and Naomi was wrapped around her torso holding onto Seven for dear life. She shook but never shed a tear. She’d had these bouts a long time, since Mars and all it’s aftermath. Seven had learned to be patient with her, to hold her tightly until the younger woman calmed down enough to speak once more. Then Naomi was usually forthcoming but that had taken much practice. In the beginning, she found she couldn’t verbalize what she was feeling but Seven had never lost patience with Naomi.

Now the panic ebbed and Seven felt Naomi go slack against her.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Naomi whispered so low she knew only Seven could hear her. “You’re my only family left.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Naomi Wildman,” Seven whispered back, using Naomi’s full name like she had all those years ago aboard Voyager.

“The Borg,” Naomi’s voice shook. “I-I didn’t know you became the queen.”

“It was brief,” Seven evaded. It had been hard enough to explain to Kathryn, Seven didn’t relish reliving it for Naomi.

“Seven!” Naomi hissed. “Come on,” she sighed, her voice softening.

“It was disturbing. And short lived,” Naomi continued to scowl at her but Seven continued unfazed. “And I will tell you more about it but not right now.”

The whining of the sonic shower cut off abruptly signaling that Kathryn would likely be re-emerging from the other shortly. Naomi was still flushed but the worst had subsided. She looked up at Seven and felt abashed. The panic made her feel weak, exposed. Suddenly she wanted to bolt. The thought of trying to explain this to Janeway made all the remaining blood drain from her face. It was bad enough to let Seven see her like this, Kathryn Janeway was another story. Naomi wasn’t even sure how she had gotten there.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice still hushed. “I hate when I get like this.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Seven reassured her as she gave another quick squeeze. “Now go get cleaned up. We have a lot to go over at dinner.”

Naomi lit off to shower and change, thankful for the easy escape Seven had granted her. Now her mind turned to dinner and with it thoughts of Raffi. That was another pack of panic. Naomi walked faster as she tried to outrun her own mind. At the very least, the shower would lay her mind blank if only for a minute. 

Guinan watched the young Katarian as she dashed into a cabin at the far end of the corridor from where she was standing. It was quite the assemblage on board the refit freighter and Guinan couldn’t help but stifle at the pariah crew Picard had assembled in his dotage. Highly decorated and highly flawed. All in their own ways of course. It was a ship of good pirates seeking good trouble. Well, they had certainly found it. Sometimes what was easily overlooked proved to be vitally important. The Federation’s dismissal of the Borg was one of those things. Guinan wondered how this crew would respond. They clearly had a different perspective.

One thing that was missing was a bar on board their pirate ship. Rios had told Guinan that they often used the holosuite for that purpose. That seemed woefully inadequate given this band of misfits. If she stuck around, that would have to be remedied. That was not a problem for today though. For now they needed information, they needed a plan and Guinan only had one of those on hand. They still would need a plan. Guninan wanted to grab a word with Picard before the crew was assembled. She set out in search of the holosuites.

Kathryn was combing her fingers through her unruly hair as she stepped out of the bathroom. She sometimes missed the days of long ago when it was long and easily twisted away. When she looked up, she realized Seven was alone.

“Where’s Naomi?”

“She went to get cleaned up,” Seven evaded as she rose to her feet. She respected Naomi’s privacy enough to not elaborate unless it was needed but Kathryn didn’t press. Maggie let out a yip as Seven moved her from the comfort of her lap to the cold, hard sofa. A glint sparked in Seven’s eye and Kathryn’s breath caught seeing it.

Fast as a flash, Seven was upon her, whispering something about Borg efficiency as she backed Kathryn up to the bed. They didn’t have time for niceties as Seven maneuvered quickly behind Kathryn, pushing her forward over the edge of the bed. Splaying her arms out, Kathryn pushed back against the soft mattress as Seven’s hands worked quickly to unfasten the trousers she’d just stepped into. Seven’s mouth was occupied nipping her neck as Kathryn fought to be quiet. She bit hard on her lip as she felt Seven’s metal tipped fingers reach around her, bushing over her breast. Seven’s other, entirely human hand had slid quietly lower. Kathryn swallowed a gasp as Seven’s fingers slipped inside her. Arms burning, Kathryn could no longer hold herself up and she folded into the bed as Seven’s thrusts became faster. Seven’s Borg fingers now held her hip, her fingertips leaving tiny bruises.

“Come for me, Captain,” Seven whispered low and sultry as her thumb circled Kathryn’s clit.

It was cataclysmic and Kathryn could only quake as the mattress muffled her guttural yawp. Seven collapsed next to her on the bed, a ridiculous smirk on her full lips. Kathryn tried to reach for her but Seven caught her hand. She kissed the outstretched fingers.

“We don’t have time,” Seven said.

“Well, I have plans for you later,” Kathryn finally managed as Seven pulled her to her feet.

“I hope that’s a promise,” Seven quipped as she disappeared into the ensuite.

Now that she was up, Kathryn stepped out of the ruined pants and dug in her bag for a replacement. Sighing as ripples of aftershocks sparked her nerves, Kathryn listened to the whine of the sonic shower. She was surprised at herself really. Or maybe she wasn’t.

Back in her cabin, Naomi dried her wet hair roughly with an inadequate towel. She’d opted for a hydro-shower. It barely took her longer and it more effectively hid the effects of her tears. She may not have cried in front of Seven but as soon as she was alone they erupted unbidden. The panic usually caused that effect. The shower helped some as she fought to really calm herself. Logically she worked through the fear swirling around her head. It didn’t quell it entirely but slowly her breathing relaxed and the tears ebbed. By the time she stepped out, she felt drained but much calmer.

Sometimes it was just hard to see Janeway. It was nothing that Kathryn did but Naomi couldn’t help but be reminded of her mother, Sam. Naomi had survived the better part of a decade pushing away memories of her mother. Seeing Captain Janeway, her mother’s C.O., made that evasion nearly impossible. Memories of childhood filtered back to Naomi and with them the ache of that loss. They mingled in her subconscious with her current fears. Naomi rifled through a drawer as she finished getting ready. Her fingers fell on the small frame with the chipped edge. She lifted the picture from its hiding place and gazed on it with hazy eyes. Inside the crystalline frame was an image of Naomi and Sam on Voyager. Captain Janeway is in the shot as well. Naomi remembered the Doctor had taken it at one of Neelix’s many parties. Looking at it now, Naomi remembered how happy she had been that night, how much she had laughed with her mom.

With a sigh, she returned the picture and looked up into her own reflection. She was nearly the same age now as her mother had been in the photo. She couldn’t imagine being stranded a billion lightyears from home with a brand new baby. It hadn’t felt like that aboard Voyager, not for Naomi. For Naomi it was home, the first home she’d ever know. But her mother must have been terrified. She’d asked Seven if she remembered much about Sam in those days but they were largely before Seven arrived on board herself. Maybe she could work up to asking Kathryn when they had some actual downtime. As it was, she was nearly late already. Hurrying now, Naomi refastened her com badge onto her jacket and set off to meet the others in the holodeck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no control over Seven. None. This was all her.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Raffi sat chatting with Guinan when Naomi rushed into the holosuite. Raffi’s eyes drifted up and the words she had been speaking petered away into an unintelligible “erm”. Guinan looked from Raffi to the gate and saw Naomi walking towards them. She turned back towards Raffi.

“If I didn’t know better,” Guinan smiled, “I’d say you have it bad.”

The heat rose in Raffi’s cheeks as she struggled for a quip. Naomi arrived before she could muster one and she glared at Guinan, mostly for effect.

They were once again at the tables facing the vineyard. It almost made Naomi a little wistful for the solidity of Coppelius. Though she’d only been there a few days, it had been nice to have her feet on actual ground. She hadn’t had much of that in her actual life. Being born on a starship had certain perks but it had left Naomi with a certain ineptitude for being planetside. Even simulations like this one made her feel a bit off-sides. She managed though, weaving between the heated looks being exchanged around her. She was grateful to see Seven and Kathryn appear a moment later. They had a way of drawing up all the attention in a room and for that Naomi was grateful.

The flush hadn’t faded from Kathryn’s cheeks and she felt fairly abashed walking towards the vineyard vista with Seven at her side. Somehow Seven looked as calm and cool as ever. She wasn’t really but you couldn’t tell it from looking. In reality, Seven was a bundle of nerves at the prospects of this dinner. She would have preferred to eschew the whole thing to whisking Kathryn away to finish what they started. One look at the plaintiff grimace on Naomi’s face had stilled that impulse. It also brought the nerves roaring back. Seven could feel the clench of anxiety as they reached the long wooden table. She was terrified of the prospect of this conversation. If the Borg were involved than she would have to face that once more. That was the last thing she wanted. She’d endured more than her share of trauma at the hands of the Borg. It was only natural to want to avoid anymore. She must have clenched her enhanced fingers unconsciously because she felt Kathryn’s warm fingers close lightly over them. The tiny contact began to still Seven and a moment later, they took their seats on the bench across from Raffi.

Jean-Luc had returned with some wine and behind him Agnes and Cris carried stasis trays with unknown contents. There was more interest in the wine than the food and now that they were all assembled, the noise level of their competing conversations had risen exponentially. The trays were uncovered and their contents were laid across the length of the table. A full array of barbecue stretched across the bench. There were glazed ribs and potato salad, macaroni and cheese, crispy fried green tomatoes, creamy coleslaw and slabs of cornbread. And of course there was brisket and greens. Kathryn was surprised to see the spread. It reminded her of something her mother would have made.

“We have some pretty good replicators,” Cris smiled as he appreciated the pleased looks on their faces. As any good captain, Cris was in love with his ship and took pride in any opportunity to show her off.

“Well I’m impressed,” called out Kathryn. “I was never so good with a replicator. This looks like my mother could have made it!”

“That’s high praise,” Seven translated though she needn’t bothered. Everyone was too busy tucking into the feast. The wine lay forgotten for the moment. They had time enough for that.

Once they’d eaten their fill, they got down to the order of things. They had several pressing issues and so far not one way to deal with any of them. Logically, they began with Guinan.

“This should be a matter for the Federation. For Starfleet,” Picard’s voice hung low and deep in the air. He’d already argued this point to no avail.

“If it had been up to them, they would have blown up Coppelius and all the synths with it, right off the star chart, just like the Romulans wanted,” Guinan wasn’t holding back. “Look, I’m not saying we might not need them. But I hope we don’t. These are people that need saving, under all that metal and crap, and you,” she looked from Seven to Picard then, “you both would do well to remember that.”

“Like I could forget it,” Seven scoffed aggressively.

“All I’m saying is that you were saved. Hugh was saved. They deserve that chance don’t they?”

“What are you proposing?” This came from Kathryn.

“There are nearly eight million lives at stake down there. I’d rather not have them sacrificed because the great Federation couldn’t be bothered to save them. It won’t be easy though, the Collective may be fractured but they’ve created a microcosm within the endoplanets. We would have to start there.”

“They would still need a central plexus,” Seven posited, her face taut and growing paler as she spoke. “Even without a greater collective, they could be mutually linked there. It would likely be a secure location.”

“If we could get there, we could disable it,” Janeway picked up the thread.

“It might not be enough. But I think that’s where we start. Did the scans show more detail on the planets?” Seven looked towards Soji and Agnes, both seated towards the other end table.

“There is some pretty extensive shielding but Soji managed to get through,” Agnes replied.

“There are multiple layers of shielding for each of the three planets. I couldn’t really get at much,” Soji continued, her eyes hopping lightly around the table. It was easy to forget she was synthetic just from looking at her. “What I did find was that the most extensive shielding protects only one of the binary suns.”

“Sometimes X marks the spot,” Jean-Luc quipped as his mind sifted through the opportunities before them. “Given the shielding, how much data was gleaned?”

“Well it’s clear that there are concentrations in the populations on each planet. There was also a phenomenal electric discharge at each of the poles. I couldn’t make out much beyond that,” Agnes answered. She was dismayed by the sheer lack of data generated. She’d never really dealt with the Borg before, all her work had focused on cybernetic AI, the Borg were the opposite. They made her nervous.

“Call me crazy but I don’t think it prudent to just go storming in there,” Raffi chimed in.

“No, that is not first,” Jean-Luc assuaged them. “First we need to get a better picture of where things lie. Then I suggest we figure how to subdue a mass number of Borg without killing them.”

“What about a nerve agent? Something to make them fall asleep?” Naomi’s voice rippled up in question drawing several sets of eyes towards her.

“I believe they’d still adapt,” Seven sighed. “Had Hugh developed anything further on the Artifact?”

Soji had worked closely with Hugh but the Borg that reached them had already been severed from the Collective. There may not be a Collective in the same fashion but it was clear from the shielding technology alone that they were far from severed.

“Most of those that made it there were already severed, though they weren’t always happy about it.”

Before Soji could finish her thought, La Sirena rocked hard to starboard, toppling the table and the remaining plates. The mess was ignored for the moment as the red alert klaxons sounded. The vineyard vista disappeared behind them as everyone scrambled to their battle stations.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

It was raiders. Three small shuttles under pirate colors. They would be more of an annoyance than a threat if only they would stop firing and answer a hail. But they didn’t.

Cris jumped into his chair displacing two holograms along the way.

“Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Rios,” Picard commanded still on his feet. 

“How did they even see us?” Soji wondered aloud. “Weren’t we cloaked?”

“Not enough it would seem,” Raffi called up from the ops station.

“Seven, fire a warning shot across one of their bows.”

“Ugh,” Kathryn moaned as she stood behind Seven scanning the monitors. “I know these guys. A bunch of gnats! They make the Pakled look smart, I swear.”

Seven’s shot did little to scatter the shuttles that continued to fire on them. There wasn’t much more she could threaten.

“There’s a small nebula just beyond this system. It crosses the border with the Delta Quadrant. I don’t think they’d follow us in there,” Kathryn stated, realizing for the umpteenth time that this was not her ship to command.

“They might wait us out though,” Naomi countered, ever practical.

“Couldn’t we just take out one?” Raffi’s trigger finger was getting itchy.

“Fire another warning shot the on my mark, then go to warp three,” Picard said glancing over at Raffi. “We can double back to that nebula.”

They lost them as soon as they jumped to warp. Their shuttles just didn’t have the juice to follow them. They overshot by a couple light years and found themselves clearly in the Delta Quadrant.

“Well that’s a first for me,” Agnes said quietly, still uncomfortable on the bridge. She hoped things were quieting down, she wanted to be back in the safety of her little lab.

It didn’t take long, even on impulse drive, to reach the nebula. Rios navigated the gaseous clouds with ease and managed to find a quiet expanse to park it. The colors of the clouds ensconced the ship suffusing the orange and red light through every viewport. It felt like being trapped in a sunset.

“Well that could be worse.” It was Guinan that spoke, her voice echoing from the back of the bridge. “At least it’s pretty out there.”

A wave of purple had overtaken the golden color as the light swirled in celestial waves. Seven looked out the viewscreen and bit her lip at the memory rising in her mind. They had hidden in quite a few nebulae back on Voyager and one of them had been out to get them. That was when Seven had been tasked with helming the ship by herself for a very long month. It had been a grueling time but one she was quite proud. She’d proved herself to both her captain and her crew mates but she smiled now for a different reason. It had been the time in the nebula that had first made Seven aware that she had a ‘crush’ on the captain. That’s what the doctor called it at the time. Now that memory struck her as pretty funny but she didn’t want to explain that to the entire bridge. She bit her lip harder and looked away from the screen.

Kathryn had noticed a flush creeping up Seven’s cheek but she kept that knowledge to herself. She turned her attention back to Jean-Luc and to the question of their next move. It was clear they still had much planning to do.

Rios wanted to run a diagnostic on the cloak. Soji decided to give him a hand.

Ian, the emergency engineering hologram, appeared as well and the three of them set off to the upper deck and cloaking generator. Soji thought perhaps she should be more confused by the identical looking Rios but after Coppelius, it didn’t really phase her. There she had looked into nearly twenty faces, almost identical to her own. They were not her, she knew that. Ian struck her in the same way. He looked like Rios to be sure but that was where it ended. His mannerisms and especially his Scottish accent were jarringly different from the flesh and blood Cristobal. If anything, it amused Soji, especially when she realized how easily she could tease the real Rios with Ian’s help.

Guinan was seated in the mess on the deck below. Seven sat across from her. Kathryn replicated coffees for the three of them. She wasn’t quite sure what Guinan was after and she’d be damned if she was going to find out without some bolstering caffeine.

It had grown late in the course of all their evasive maneuvers. The general consensus was that they pause until the repairs to the cloak were made. In that time, they could do their best to decrypt the sensor readings. If they got really restless they could always take Seven’s shuttle for some recon. She knew her cloaking device was fully functional.

Guinan accepted the coffee gratefully. She didn’t often indulge in the pungent stuff but this had the makings of a long night.

“How the hell did you find yourself way out here anyway?” Kathryn asked after taking a scalding sip of her brew.

“I could ask you the same thing. You know they still tell tales of you on Marek-Bohn. I’m surprised you didn’t trigger any sensors. Of course there’s not really anyone paying attention anymore so maybe that’s why you got away with it.”

Kathryn had turned a deep shade of scarlet, reminiscent of her old command tunic, at being called out so directly.

“Well,” she hemmed, “I was running away from my life at the time. What about you?”

“Shuttle accident,” Guinan said succinctly. “Over a year ago now.”

“And the Borg?” Seven couldn’t hold back.

“They had just routed the station and were moving on the planets by the time I arrived. The station had enough survivors to maintain but the Borg had done their thing. I hadn’t seen them for myself but there was a rumor that these Borg were somehow different.”

“Well they would be,” Seven surmised, a trace of her old arrogance poking through. “They have no Queen, no greater collective.”

“You can hear them” Kathryn asked though it wasn’t a question.

Guinan’s eyes turned to Seven as she nodded. “It’s not clear. But I can tell they’re there. And I can tell they are unsatisfied. Clearly it is not perfection.”

“No and if we leave them like this, they will continue to grow and assimilate. It’s sadly their nature,” Guinan intoned.

“So we need to save them,” Seven said with a sigh. “But I still don’t understand what that has to do with Q.”

“Q!” Guinan exclaimed. “What does he have to do with the price of ale on Romulus?”

“He sent us to you,” Kathryn replied, her voice low and gravely. “I’d love to know what the hell he wants really.”

“As would I,” the deeper voice startled the three women and the looked up to see Jean-Luc walking towards them. He bypassed the table though and headed directly to the replicator. “Earl Grey, hot,” he commanded before turning, tea finally in hand to face the trio.

“Got any theories?” Guinan asked as Jean-Luc took the seat next to her.

“I think there’s something wrong with him,” Picard pondered.

“Tell us something we don’t know! At least he wasn’t trying to procreate with you!” Kathryn shot back as Seven gave her a scathing look. “And don’t look at me like that, Seven, it was a long time ago now.”

“I just don’t know why you felt the need to bring it up,” Seven quipped.

“Anyway,” Kathryn seethed for effect, “I agree he wasn’t up to his usual standard of Q-ness. But what does that have to do with the Borg.”

“It’s not the Borg, it’s where they came from,” called Q, his disembodied voice filling the deck. Then, with a pop he appeared. He turned first to Guinan but she rebuffed him with a hiss.

“Nice to see you too,” he smirked. “Now what were you saying Kathy?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday!

For the second time, Janeway flushed scarlet but now it was the force of sheer ire. Q always knew how to push her buttons. It was infuriating.

“Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” She seethed before she felt Seven’s hand grasp her shoulder. She’d actually begun to lunge towards Q.

“Easy there Kath,” Q replied taking a step back from the table. “All I meant was congratulations, you’re halfway there.”

“Well it seems we just need a way to de-assimilate all these Borg then we’ll be all the way there,” Guinan shot back.

“And there’s your problem. You can’t!” Q’s voice grew shrill as he narrowed his eyes at his ancient rival.

“That’s not actually true,” Soji spoke softly but the shock of her voice hushed the bickering. Q turned towards her, his eyes wide with sudden curiosity.

“Hugh had advanced reclamation technology far beyond anything the Federation has ever seen,” Soji continued. “He was capable of reclaiming whole vessels but there are far more Borg concentrated on those planets. It will be challenging but it is possible.”

“Oho! I don’t believe we’ve met,” Q popped himself across the room so that he now stood facing Soji.

“I don’t believe we have,” Soji replied, her eyes narrowing dangerously. A moment later, Q lay on his back on the deck. He looked up to see Jean-Luc’s smirking face.

“This is Soji, Q, she is Data’s daughter,” Picard smiled before offering Q a hand. Back on his feet, Q looked hard at Soji. She was not like any creature he had ever encountered. Not even Data. She was different.

“Not sure where you’ve been hiding, but a lot has changed, especially lately,” Janeway’s command voice rattled more than one spine on the deck. In truth, she was speaking of herself as well. Guinan looked over at her as she spoke. She could see the years of regret hanging around Kathryn’s shoulders.

“Well I can see that, Kathy! I’m not blind,” Q tutted as he turned back to ragged assembly. “And, what’s more, is I knew all that. I brought you here for a reason.”

An odd current of anguish seemed to ripple through Q. Guinan watched as he began to soften at the edges, aging, ever so slightly, right before their eyes.

“I need a favor.”

“That’s far too straightforward for you!” Guinan shot back.

“My son is down there.”

“But, he’s a Q? How?” Janeway looked up at Q and feared he might actually be telling the truth. She remembered well enough the strange bond Q held with his son.

All eyes were suddenly on Q now and he knew it. Surprisingly though it did not change his affect. He was genuinely disturbed.

“Well, Junior has always been a bit headstrong. He gets it from his mother I think,” Q scoffed away but the concern was still there. “He just was never really one for taking advice. I had hoped that after his teenage antics,” his eyes lit on Seven before jumping back to Janeway. “That he would continue onto a more ascetic path but instead he chose a baser option. He fell in love.” Q practically spat the word.

“And just what does a Q know of love?” Surprisingly it was Picard who posited this question.

“That was my response as well!” Q replied, as exasperation overtook his countenance. “What’s more it’s with a human of all creatures!”

“You tried your hand at that yourself,” Janeway fired back at him. “Didn’t work out so well as I recall.”

“That, dear Kathy, was not love.”

“Color me shocked!”

“Enough!” Picard rumbled as Seven pulled Janeway back into her seat. “Explain faster,” he commanded Q.

“Well Junior fell in love. And while she was very attractive she was not very lucky. She was assimilated not long after they met and he spent years pursuing the Cube that stole her away. I dissuaded him from these efforts but my pleas fell on deaf ears. Before I knew it, both he and the Cube had vanished. I have been tracking them for years with no success. I scoured the Continuum, the known and unknown reaches of this universe and I found nothing!

“You may have noticed the scans in this part of space are erratic?” Q continued. “Subspace has been fractured here but on a micro scale. The cracks are so small that they are barely detectable. They’re enough to shield some boundaries, including one to the Continuum.”

Q snapped his fingers and a star chart appeared hovering before them. He pointed a finger at a blurry corner squeezed within the boundaries of two quadrants. It was precisely where they sat. From his chart, they could see the odd conical shape of the system and how that provided a natural obstruction for their sensors.

“Here’s where it gets tricky,” Q turned his hands and an image of the Borg below filled the space where the map had been. “They’ve been an autonomous collective for a long time but make no mistake, it is still a collective. They have not been reclaimed, they can still channel themselves into a single voice.”

A silent murmur rippled across the deck. Discomfort was etched on the faces of Picard and Seven while all the other eyes puzzled over these unusual drones. This would be a massive endeavor if they could pull it off at all. The loss of Hugh echoed, bouncing hard between Soji and Seven but it was Picard that invoked his name.

“So you are telling us we need to deal with a mini collective lead ostensibly by your progeny who has presumably been assimilated as well? You’re right, Soji, Hugh would be the man for this job. This will require some real planning. I think we’ll be staying put for the time being, Mr. Rios.”

Cris nodded at the loose order. A yawn threatened to overtake take him but he fought it off. It had grown quite late with all the chaos.

“I also propose we begin again in the morning. I think we could all use some shut eye. I’m sure Mr. Rios can rustle you some quarters if you desire some Q,” Picard looked every bit as tired as Rios did.

“Thanks but I’m good. I have some recon of my own to do.” He was gone with a snap leaving the crew of the La Sirena in momentary peace.

It took little time for the informal meeting to break apart. Most everyone had retired to their quarters, it was nearly 0300 hours and tiredness had won out. Only Raffi lingered still, her mind bouncing like a hoverball over the random trajectory of events. Guinan had really given her some shit about Naomi. Raffi had been shocked by the El-Aurian’s tenacity but not nearly as much as by her accuracy. Raffi had really believed her own arguments were sound. Naomi was young and had suffered enough in her life without having the baggage Raffi carried weighing her down. Guinan skewered that. She could see how Raffi was holding back, not just with Naomi but with everything. It was a poor attempt at control but Raffi resented Guinan’s ability to see it the way it really was. Raffi had been running a long time. That first glance of Naomi had made her stop in her tracks. Now her engine was stalled but it wasn’t sustainable especially now that she had Guinan keeping score.

Raffi walked up to the replicator and paused. She wanted wine. But it wouldn’t help. It wasn’t what she needed. Instead she ordered up two hot chocolates. She picked up the steaming mugs and headed towards the long corridor. Her quarters lay in the other direction but she wasn’t headed there, she had another destination in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient on this one. I hadn’t forgotten but I did need to step away a bit to really see where we were heading.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend!

Kathryn hadn’t forgotten her promise from earlier. Seven hadn’t either but she’d been throughly distracted by Q and the news of the Borg. It had left her feeling off, exposed. For so long she’d tried to shed her Borgness, not just her implants but the entire philosophy. Try as she had, she could never truly erase it. It remained like any other feature, just out of her true control. She couldn’t not hear their voices anymore than she could resist the searing touch of Kathryn’s fingers as they worked to quickly free Seven from the confines of clothing. True to her word, Kathryn had ravished Seven throughly but that had only been the beginning. They twisted and turned, taking what they needed from each other as they burned the eardrums of the cranky kinnea, pouting in the other room.

Down a different corridor, Raffi sat stiffly on the edge of Naomi’s bed. She clutched at the half-empty and now cold hot chocolate. Naomi sat cross legged and facing Raffi. Her red gold hair was unbound from its braids and the curling tendrils took on a life all their own. Raffi caught herself staring but Naomi just smiled.

Raffi didn’t know what she was doing. Her sober mind screamed at her to retreat to her own quarters. Her sober voice was a bit of a coward. Raffi did her best to shake it off but awkwardness seemed to infuse her every action.

Naomi hadn’t been asleep but she’d been in bed when her door chimed. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see Raffi but she was. They’d been skating around each other for what already felt like ages. The closer they’d get, the further Raffi pushed them back apart. Naomi wasn’t much better. That much she could admit. She had no desire to be hurt, no desire to really risk it. Except every time Raffi appeared, her stomach flipped like a schoolgirl with a crush.

They were speaking of the past, a topic they tended to avoid where others were concerned. It was safe between them though, their mutual regrets built a tenuous bridge where they could meet on halfway. It had tipped the scales and they both knew it. Raffi seemed frozen though, unable to make any move and Naomi couldn’t stand to watch her flail. Without speaking, she took the half full mug from Raffi and placed it beside her own on the nightstand. Then she scooted closer still to Raffi and placed her palm against Raffi’s face.

Before Raffi could think or react, Naomi kissed her, their lips touching softly at first. That only lasted a moment as the charge of electricity leapt between them. They’d closed the circuit and the current surged driving them further into each other.

Raffi deepened the kiss, her tongue tangling, demanding answers from Naomi. She was not disappointed as Naomi pulled her further onto the bed nor was she shy as their bodies melded together. It was a glorious sensation, nearly as glorious as the still unbroken kiss. They were gasping for air and pieces of each other’s clothing in equal measure. This was not a time for patience or logic Naomi reasoned as she divested Raffi of the tunic she’d been wearing.

Suddenly down to their skivvies, the fell apart gasping. Things were moving at warp speed but looking over at Naomi, Raffi could see no reason to slow down. The wave of desire was too great, too immovable. It had to be breached. They had to know. Even before she’d finished the thought, Naomi had pounced upon her once more. As their skin met, Raffi moaned deep in her throat.

Naomi didn’t think it was possible to be any more aroused but every move of Raffi’s undid her further. She’d never felt this molten flow of wantonness and there was little she could do to staunch it. All she could do was meet it. So they tumbled over and back, their mouths crushing and their limbs grasping. Neither would cede control and they were pretty evenly matched. It wasn’t until Naomi used her leg to effectively flip Raffi flat on her back with both arms pinned above her head. It was an old Klingon wrestling move that she’d learned on Voyager. It served her well here, Raffi looked both shocked and enthralled to be pinned by the younger woman.

The kiss that followed was searing. It burned away the last of their vestiges, the panties landing on the deck next to the pile of their doubts. They tumbled together, their limbs slotting and tangling as they learned the steps of this new dance. It was Naomi that lead, Naomi that pushed Raffi back once more but this time she did not hold back. She moved with determination over Raffi’s exquisite breasts. Naomi took her time until Raffi’s back arched and she cried out, her desire palpable.

Naomi did not disappoint as she pressed forward, her hands sweeping over Raffi’s smooth skin. Her fingertips slid over a rougher patch of unhealed scars across her lower back. Naomi wanted to know more but not right then. Instead she replaced her questing fingers with her hungry lips and kissed the edges of the ragged scar.

Raffi was not about to let Naomi run the table on her and with a quick move, she caught her off balance. Back together they tumbled as Raffi sought for purchase. Their kisses resumed with even greater fervor. Their hands moved of their own accord, seeking out soft, warm skin. Their actions fell together, a tentative tandem. The power play continued until they came on top of each other. They formed a feedback loop of pleasure, their own Möbius strip of crashing orgasms. When they finally fell apart they were spent and breathless. Speech seemed highly overrated and they lay for a long time in the half-dark silence.

The green light of a Borg ship is unmistakable. Even the Artifact, in all it’s reclaimed glory, had the eerie green glow through every corridor. There was a kind of buzzing too, a visceral pulse of energy, and it permeated every bit of matter it touched. Jean-Luc vibrated with such energy as his feet moved slowly over the harshly glowing deck. This was no Borg ship. This was the Enterprise. Suddenly he was staring at his old captain’s chair, the one he remembered the fondest. It too was bathed in the green light. It was off putting yet there were no other signs of the Borg. There were no other signs at all. The ship appeared to be completely deserted. There was an image on the view screen. Jean-Luc squinted his eyes but he couldn’t manage to identify the swirling gas of the nebula. It seemed familiar.

“Number One!” He called and a moment later his pet pit bull ran up to him, barking and begging. He knelt to scratch the dog behind his ears. Standing up once more, he realized he wasn’t alone as he looked into the face of his other Number One, Will Riker. Only it wasn’t the Riker he’d seen such a short time ago. Not the grown up settled down Will. The was the Will of that same Enterprise. Riker looked out over the nebula and sighed.

“Not them again,” he moaned.

Before Jean-Luc could comment, the ship disappeared as if it had never been. Before him now stood a strange looking temple. The design was primitive but effective. The heavy blocks were stacked into a step pyramid and Jean-Luc realized he’d have to climb it. It seemed to grow with each step he took. The sun was strong as it beat down on his shoulders. He had no water. No supplies. As he turned, he lost his footing. The world below spun before him before his momentum was suddenly halted. He twisted round to see his savior and saw Hugh’s scarred countenance holding onto him.

Hugh tugged them away from the edge and into an unseen corridor. The path cut into the stone, a hidden entrance. Jean-Luc followed, desperate to ask Hugh many questions once they stopped moving.

On they went, deeper into stony darkness. Once or twice they paused and Jean-Luc had tried to speak but the words never reached his lips. Then on they would move. The buzzing had begun again. The vibration of it seemed to light the corridor. Hugh turned and whispered, “almost there.” His words were swallowed by the buzzing and Jean-Luc had to strain to make them out. Then, with a burst of green light, he awoke. With sadness his eyes swept around for Hugh before he realized Hugh was only a dream. Sitting up, Jean-Luc closed his eyes and tried to recapture the images that were so vibrant only moments ago. Like wisps of smoke, they evaporated into the thin air and the longer Jean-Luc thought, the less he could remember. He threw the covers back in his frustration and rose from the bed though he was still stiff and tired. The computer confirmed it was only 0500 hours. He stretched for a moment and considered just getting back in the bed. A sudden burst of anxiety gripped him as Hugh’s words echoed back. No, this was no time for more sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

“I have them,” Soji’s voice was rough with lack of sleep and she startled Seven. Seven was also looking a little weary around the edges and she took a long sip of her steaming mug before replying.

“You have what?” Seven didn’t know Soji all that well. They spent little time in the last weeks in each other’s company. Still there was something about Soji, something Seven couldn’t quite identify it but it was somehow familiar.

“Hugh’s logs. He was technically my CO while I was on the Artifact. Feels like another life entirely now,” Soji’s eyes drifted away from Seven’s for a second.

“I thought I remembered you,” Seven said looking harder at her. Soji startled, tension gripping her face. Seven smiled then, breaking the tension she herself had created. “Actually I don’t remember meeting you but I was only on board once back then. Hugh had wanted it to be more.” This time it was Seven’s turn to look away. She was still wracked with guilt and anger over Hugh’s death.

“Well he recorded everything. His logs are really extensive. And they’re not just logs. There’s a stack of procedural padds with more reclamation information than exists in any quadrant.”

Seven’s head swam. “You’ve read them?”

“Yeah but I think you might get a lot more out of them. There are still aspects of Borg technology that elude me.”

“You should be grateful for that,” came Seven’s too quick reply. She didn’t know why she was being so short with Soji, especially after all that lovely payback from Kathryn. It must just be the lack of sleep, she reasoned. “I just meant that there are things you can only know once you’ve been assimilated.”

“I get that,” Soji replied. She showed no sign of offense at Seven’s sharp tone. Instead she merely cocked her head to the side as she continued to watch Seven. “Being a drone is also being partially synthetic. Partially questioning what is actually your own. Hugh never said all that much to me. I was there to learn and he was a thorough teacher. He never spoke of himself. It wasn’t until I read his logs that I began to see how alike we can be.”

Before Seven could reply, a scattering of footsteps drew both their attention upward as Guinan and Picard emerged from a corridor. They were both dressed in fencing gear, the bright white practically glowing in the dim, early light of the canteen. Seven and Soji both stared at the pair. Moments later a sleepy looking Rios stumbled in looking bedraggled and surly. He waited as Guinan collected the two mugs of tea before he all but shouted for his morning maté.

Seven had promised to bring Kathryn coffee before she’d gotten distracted by Soji. Now that the replicator was free once more, Seven replicated two more coffees before excusing herself from the growing breakfast crowd. Turning the corner, she nearly ran into a flustered looking Raffi. Seven was grateful for the stasis lids on the mugs she carried as they sloshed but but did not spill. Raffi’s eyes met Seven’s for a hot second before Raffi turned back towards the corridor. With just a rushed word of apology, Raffi hurried on leaving Seven to ponder the oddness of the interaction.

Naomi woke to an empty bed. She wasn’t surprised really but it stung a little. She looked over at the place Raffi had been and squinted her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to make of last night. It had been hot, no doubt about that. It had been terrifying as well. Naomi had never felt so seen, so unguarded. She hadn’t meant to drop her shields like that. She hadn’t meant anything to be serious. But something had shifted between them that wasn’t entirely physical. It was enough for Naomi to feel a modicum of relief at the cool sheets. Her heart hammered as she thought of starting the day. She wasn’t sure how it would be to see Raffi.

The sonic shower had helped nothing. Naomi’s head still swam, the jumble of thoughts and emotions making even less sense the longer she thought. A part of her just couldn’t believe it had happened at all. It had been like a dream. She’d been half asleep when she answered the door chime. Maybe it hadn’t actually happened? She had almost convinced herself when she caught sight of her reflection. Two dark red marks covered her collarbone. They wouldn’t be visible once she was dressed but the glowed like radium in the mirror. Naomi looked harder at them and remembered very clearly how they came to be. So it had happened. She hadn’t dreamt it. And she still didn’t want anyone to know. Especially Seven.

Naomi pulled on her gear and paused once more to search her face for signs of guilt. There were none. It wasn’t guilt she felt. That was odd on its own. Naomi had not had much success in her love to date. She’d never put much stock in it, had never given it enough attention to be otherwise. Even now the thought of a ‘relationship’ was enough to trip her gag reflex. She wanted to see Raffi again though. That’s where the confusion came in and there was not a solution to be found in her cabin. Naomi gave a final tug to her tunic and gathered up her padds. She wasn’t sure where she was headed but her head ached and she needed caffeine.

Jean-Luc sipped his tea as he listened to Guinan wax poetic about the nebula they were still inhabiting. A good bout often turned her philosophical but this morning Jean-Luc was hoping for more practical conversation. This new problem with the Borg was haunting him. The dream he’d had only hours before stuck awkwardly in his present mind. It had distracted him upon the piste and Guinan had capitalized on it. Now she watched him listening to her. She knew he was bothered but she wanted him to say it. Long gone were the days of her prying bits of information from him.

“I was so happy to see Hugh aboard the Artifact,” Picard mused as Guinan paused in her astronomical diatribe. “I wish he were here now though.”

“He was the beginning wasn’t he?” Guinan replied, her eyes distant with memory.

“Well, he was certainly the turning point,” Jean-Luc looked down into the dregs of his mug. “I seem to remember you were no fan of him at first.”

“And I was wrong. I told you so at the time. Still this venture seems extreme, even for you,” Guinan’s eyes bore into him. She knew she was pushing but this was a different kind of threat. “Are there any reinforcements out there? Ones that won’t attract Starfleet’s unhelpful attention. We know they’d just come in blasting.”

“There’s the Rangers,” Naomi threw in from her place at the replicator. “Not to eavesdrop or anything.”

Guinan looked over at the smart-mouthed Katarian and smirked. “There are nearly a billion Borg down there. Come, sit,” Guinan gestured. “Unless you’d rather,” she tilted her head Rios’ way. “But he’s been swearing in Bajoran for the last fifteen minutes.”

Naomi took the hint and the seat. She’d been hoping to run into Raffi. Instead she found herself trapped at the teachers’ table with no way to escape. Luckily for her Elnor appeared followed by Agnes and they both joined Naomi at the long table. Even Cris’ muttering ceased. When Naomi looked back for him, he was nowhere to be found. Agnes watched Naomi’s eye search.

“Ah, don’t mind Cris. He gets broody when he stays too long in one place.”

“I can relate,” Naomi smiled. Agnes made her nervous but not nearly as nervous as Picard. She was still hoping to see Raffi but with this many people about, it would be less than ideal. Naomi figured she could settle with just avoiding Seven and she hoped her luck would hold.

The informal breakfast chat continued a little while longer before Jean-Luc rose and excused himself. They would be meeting later that day but he wanted to go over some scans and schematics with Agnes and Soji first. He arranged to meet them in the lab once he changed from his gear. Naomi hung back at the table. Guinan was asking her about her time with the Rangers and for some reason, Naomi felt compelled to share. It was odd as she was often pretty guarded but something in Guinan made her feel at ease. Naomi knew she was talking too much but she couldn’t seem to stop. Guinan was more than content to let her burble. If it wasn’t for Raffi’s inopportune entrance, Naomi might have kept it up for hours. As it was, Guinan watched the blush blossom across Naomi’s face. Standing, she excused herself, nodding in Raffi’s direction. Then she was gone leaving the two women to stare awkwardly at one another.

Kathryn’s eyes followed Seven as she paced between their quarters. Her coffee was nearly gone and she needed more. Seven continued to move, her thoughts tumbling from her lips in disjointed phrases and incomprehensible numbers.

“It’s there,” she muttered. “But I can’t reach it.”

Seven stopped moving suddenly and shook her head to clear it. Kathryn continued to watch. She’d been concerned at first but quickly she’d realized this was Seven’s current method of brainstorming. What used to transpire when she regenerated was now partially filtered through her conscious mind and this was the result.

A moment later, Seven sat on the corner of the bed next to Kathryn. She wanted to explain her concerns, the jumble of the voices, the echo of the Queen. Words still would not form sentences and Kathryn didn’t push. She merely reached her arm around Seven’s shoulders pulled her closer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, comments and kudos are graciously accepted. ❤️


End file.
